Venezuelans migrants in Peru struggle, lack healthcare

More than one million Venezuelans have fled to Peru in recent years, escaping poverty and political chaos back home.
Often working for a pittance, 80 percent of them lack access to basic services and do not have health insurance.

Al Jazeera’s Mariana Sanchez reports from Lima, Peru.

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A holiday gala far away from home.

Musicians of the Roraima Orchestra

give free concerts to promote themselves.

The musicians are mostly Venezuelan migrants

trying to make it in Peru.

But it's hard,

says lead viola player Guillermo Gonzalez.

Although he's a professional musician,

the only job he's been able to land,

cleaning car tires,

has increased injuries to his back.

Most Venezuelan migrants

are willing to do any job,

and most without healthcare.

I've stopped eating some food to buy pills.

One of my colleagues gave me part of his salary,

so I managed to pay for 10 appointments.

But for the most part,

no one gives me a hand.

More than 1.2 million Venezuelans

are displaced in Peru.

The National Superintendency for Migration

says nearly 80% of them don't have

health insurance or other benefits.

At the Santa Rosa Parish

on the outskirts of the capital,

at least 50 poor Venezuelan families

live on handouts.

Most don't have money for food

or a stable job,

and many have health problems.

The law here says that only

migrant children under 5 years old

and pregnant women

can have free medical care.

The rest must have a residence card,

but the majority doesn't have one.

Joselyn Rojas says her son Cristian will soon turn 6

and lose his free healthcare.

However, she says,

it doesn't make much of a difference

to have a work permit.

My husband has the residency card,

but he works in an informal job

where he has no benefits.

So we're simply up in the air,

without anything.

Economists here say

Venezuelans have contributed to Peru's GDP

with 0.2% last year.

But the challenges continue to be great.

We're talking about

an extraordinary situation,

for which we have to generate

extraordinary norms.

We are talking with the authorities

to advance the paperwork

as the door opener for these rights.

Nearly 30% of Venezuelan migrants

are professionals, but 9 out of 10

do not work in their expertise.

Among these musicians, there are

security guards, cooks, street vendors.

Many say they hope they can

soon play full time, but for now,

their contribution to Peruvians

is music that heals the soul.

Mariana Sanchez, Al Jazeera, Lima, Peru.